New York, NY: The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) is pleased to announce that Morrison Foerster (MoFo) will be this year’s recipient of the AABANY Law Firm Leadership Award. The award will be presented at AABANY’s Annual Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street on May 28, 2026, during Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.
The AABANY Law Firm Leadership Award honors a law firm that demonstrates exceptional leadership in cultivating legal talent, developing future leaders, and advancing equal opportunity within the legal profession. This includes a commitment to building a strong pipeline of attorneys and providing equal access to mentorship, sponsorship, and professional development. Honorees are selected based on their ability to retain and promote attorneys into leadership roles, create clear pathways to advancement, and support the broader legal community through initiatives aligned with AABANY’s mission. Active engagement with organizations like AABANY and a sustained focus on supporting attorneys from all backgrounds are central to this award.
Through this award, AABANY is recognizing Morrison Foerster for its longstanding commitment to breaking down barriers and creating an environment where every attorney can reach their full potential. The firm’s holistic approach to talent development begins with its Keith Wetmore Fellowship for Excellence, Diversity, and Inclusion, which builds a robust pipeline by supporting exceptional law students. This support continues through the Wetmore Bridge Program, a two-year initiative that eases the transition from law school to practice through apprenticeship-style mentoring and cohort-based learning.
To ensure transparency and equal opportunity in advancement, the firm implemented the MyMoFo initiative and the MyMoFo Academy of Excellence. These programs provide a structured framework of “Success Profiles,” which are clearly defined competencies that outline expectations for excellence at every career stage. By establishing a common language for development, MoFo ensures that all attorneys, regardless of background, have equal access to the feedback and milestones necessary for promotion into leadership roles.
Further distinguishing itself as a leader in the professional development of attorneys, the firm launched MoFo Next, a first-of-its-kind career advancement center offering tailored coaching for attorneys navigating their long-term professional goals. Additionally, MoFo’s expansive Affinity Program, which includes 12 cross-office, partner-led networks and over 30 associate-led groups that are open to all attorneys and business professionals, provides a platform for attorneys to build community and engagement across the firm.
“Morrison Foerster has created many longstanding programs for attorney development at all levels and across many demographics and affinity groups,” stated AABANY President Varuna Bhattacharyya. “Their initiatives serve as noteworthy models for the legal industry on how legal talent should be developed and enhanced, to make attorneys high-performing professionals and individuals. AABANY commends MoFo on its leadership in this area and congratulates the firm on being honored with our Law Firm Leadership Award.”
